Foundation construction.



E. GOIGNET. FOUNDATION CONSTRUCTION.

APPLIOATION FILED Nov. 2a, 1905.

937,694'. Patented ocn.19,19o9.

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EDMOND COIGNET, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

FOUNDATION CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed November 23, 1905.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 19, 1909.

serial No. 288,731.

To all whom it may concern.' l

Be it known that I, EDMOND COIGNET, engineer, a citizen of the Republic of France, residing in Paris, Seine, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Foundation Construction, of which invention the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The construction of foundations upon unsubstantial ground presents the greatest dithculties, since it is necessary to build as lightly as possible to keep down the load while at the same time spreading the foundation structure over as much surface as possible in order to distribute the load and to prevent the ground from yielding or flowing under the load. The Chicago method of building upon flat reinforced slabs is more or less effective but the calculations necessary are very burdensome. Another method consists in imposing the walls of the structure upon the legs of an inverted arch. These walls thus constitute the piers of the arch and transmit to the latter the weight of the superposed structure. While this method is satisfactory in the case of a structure having parallel walls which transmit a weight uniform throughout their length, it is not feasible when the loads to be carried by the arch are isolated and unequal.

The object of the present invention is to obviate these defect-s by an improved construction which lends itself readily to the use of various building materials but is more particularly adapted to reinforced concrete.

In order to eifectively distribute the weight of the superstructure as evenly as possible upon the foundation, I replace the usual masonry piers by longitudinal girders which are of sufficient rigidity to evenly distribute the isolated loads brought to bear thereon upon horizontal supporting members, whether slab or inverted arch, which form the bottom members of the foundation and carry said girders. These members are so arranged as to provide main supporting members and girders thereon which are reinforced by secondary supporting members and girders of similar character arranged at right angles thereto, the latter serving to considerably enlarge the supporting base of the main supporting member. To relieve the flexional strains to which the girders may be subjected, they are made of considerable height, and above and uniting them, a rigid grating or flooring is provided which the same time it distributes the isolated and unequal loads that it receives, both transversely and longitudinally, thus spreading them evenly upon the supporting members. A group of these elements properly assembled affords means for equally distributing upon the foundation proper, loads of dierent weight and unequal distribution. In such an assemblage the elements may be arranged in any convenient manner, in parallel or otherwise, a suitable binding structure being provided.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a portion of a foun dation embodying my invention in one form; Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic plan of another foundation in which inverted cloistered arches are combined with inverted cradle arches, as supporting members; Figs. 3 and 4 are diagrammatic vertical longitudinal section and plan respectively of a foundation in which the supporting arches are replaced by slabs.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in Fig. l the principal supporting member is the inverted arch A, longitudinally on the legs of which are arranged the principal weight distributing girders B. These receive the weight of the superstructure at isolated points through the columns D and, being rigid, distribute this weight throughout their length to the arch A, thereby securing all the available support afforded by the ground upon which said arch rests. In addition I provide vsecondary supporting members, comprising, in the construction illustrated, inverted arches A1, A2 arranged on each side of the main arch A and at right angles thereto and serving as buttresses therefor. Secondary girders B1, B2 are similarly mounted longitudinally on the legs of thearches A1, A2 and, being rigid'with the main girders A, transmit the strains thereof to the secondary arches A1, A2. Columns D1, D2 furthermore transmit the weight of the superstructure in part directly to the secondary girders, in like manner as the columns D to the girders B. To secure a still further distribution of the weight of the superstructure to all of the supporting members of the foundation proper, I unite both main and secondary members by the rigid grating or floor C carried by the columns D, D1, D2, which while serving as the ground floor of the superstructure, constitutes also n upper member of considerable'resistance o flexion in the foundation structure proper and helps Yto distribute the superposed weight evenly upon the'latter. The rigidity of the support furnished by this foundation onstruction is readily Ycompre'hended. If, or instance the weight imposed upon the main supporting member A is more than the ground beneath it can sustain, the stress upon the girders B is transmitted through 'he secondary girders B1, B2, which are rigid therewith, to the secondary supports A1, A2. The main support A therefor cannot sink without carrying therewith the secondary supports B1, B2. Y

If necessary, sheeting piles F may be provided and arranged in any suitable manner. For instance lines of piles may be driven in normal to the principal and secondary girders and if the latter are of concrete construction, the heads of the piles may be embedded therein. This addsrigidity to the piles while the latter serve to inclose the mass of earth beneath the structure and prevent its horizontal displacement under the pressure of the superposed weight.

In place of the cradle arches A1 and A2 shown in Fig. 1, cloister arches A8 may be employed with the additional advantage that the thrusts of the Yarch A are partially balanced `by those of the extremities of the cloister arches. Such a construction is diagrammatically shown in Fig. 2. Similarly some or all of the supporting arches may be replaced by solid slabs E stiftened by reinforcing rods or braces e as shown in Figs. 3 and 4l. Upon these the girders B, B1, B2 with uniting floor or grating C are arranged in like manner as in the const-ruction above described.

If it is necessary or desirable that the foundation structure should be located below water level, the supporting members and the external girders may be made watertight, so that the foundation as a whole constitutes a floating platform, as it were, which considerably diminishes the weight which the structure imposes upon the unstable ground on which it rests.

Obviously the invention is not limited to the illustrative lembodiments shownand described and I do not limit myself to the precise structure or arrangements mentioned.

I claim as my invention:

l. In foundation construction, a main hori- Zontal supporting member in contactwith the earth, a secondary horizontal supporting member in contact with the earth arranged Vat'the side of said main supporting member and at right angles thereto, said main and secondary supporting members beingl so juxtaposed as to afford a supporting base,

the superficial area of which resting upon the ground is substantially equal to the area covered by the superstructure, together'with girders arranged longitudinally on said main and secondary supports, rigid withV relationto each other and adapted to receive the weight of the suiiierstructure and distribute the same upon'said main and secondary supports, substantially as described.`

2. In foundation construction, Va main Vhorizontal supporting member in contact with the earth, a secondary horizontal supporting member incontact with the earth arranged at the side of said main supporting member and at right angles thereto, saidV main and secondary supporting membersV being so juxtaposed as to afford a supporting base, the superficial area of which'resting upon the ground is substantially equal to the area covered by the superstructure, together` with girders arranged longitudinally-on said main and secondary supports,'rigid`vvith relation to each other and adapted to receive the weight of the superstructure and distribute the same upon said main and secondary supports, together with a rigid grating or floor above said girders and connected thereto, whereby isolated and unevenlyv distributed loads are more uniformly distributed to the ture, substantially as described.V e Y 3. In foundation construction, a main inverted supporting arch in contact 'with the earth, a secondary inverted supporting arch in contact with Ythe' earth arranged at theV side of said main Varch and atright angles thereto, said main and secondary supporting members being so juxtaposed as to aord a supporting base, the superficial area` ofv v verted supportingarch in contact with the 1175"Y earth, secondary inverted Vcloister arches in contact with the earth, arrangedat the side of said main arch and at right `angles thereto, said main Vand secondary support- Y ing members being so juxtaposed as to afford a supporting, base, the supericialarea of which restmg'upon* the ground 1s substantially 'equal to the area covered bythe super- Y structure, together with girdersv VarrangedY longitudinally on the legs of said arches rigid with relation to each Vother and adapted to receive the weight of the superstructure and distri-bute the same upon said main and secondary arches, `substantially Vas described.

5. In foundation construction, thecornbisupporting members of the foundation struciio nation of a principal supporting member arranged substantially horizontally, secondary supporting members substantially at right angles thereto, substantially Vertical Weight distributing members arranged longitudinally on said supporting members, and means for uniting the upper surfaces of said Weight distributing members on the principal and secondary supporting members, said main and secondary supporting members being so juxtaposed as to aiord a supporting base,

the superficial area of which resting upon the ground is substantially equal to the area covered by the superstructure.

In testimony whereof I have signed my l5 name to this speeiioation, in the presence o two subscribing Witnesses.

EDMOND GOIGNET.

Witnesses B. BLooHE, HANsoN C. COXE. 

